Courtney C. Steven's quote, "Nothing changes if nothing changes", seems to have been written just for Benjamin Netanyahu.
As Walla News reported, he has been using the same haphazard policies for the last 10 years, causing untold continuing harm to Israel's foreign relations and security.
The State Commission of Inquiry's warning letter regarding Netanyahu's conduct in the submarine affair remains relevant today. The letter criticized Netanyahu for making decisions on sensitive political-security issues without a systematic review and excluding relevant security officials. It also highlights how his creation of parallel and conflicting action channels endangered state security and harmed Israel's foreign relations. The report specifically mentions Netanyahu's decision to sell German submarines to Egypt while excluding the defense minister and the chief of staff.
Unfortunately for us all, from 2014 to 2024, his modus operandi has not changed, with Netanyahu now leading a public confrontation with the Israel's closest ally, the U.S. over weapons and munitions.
In the negotiations for the release of hostages, Netanyahu presents a new Israeli proposal to the world while simultaneously retracting it in a media interview, undermining mediation efforts.
Netanyahu's relationship with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is also strained. He barely communicates with Gallant and actively disrupts his work. Netanyahu ignores numerous recommendations from the security establishment and the IDF, from addressing the fate of the hostages to strengthening the Palestinian Authority, while simultaneously blaming others for failures. Last July, he refused to meet with the Chief of Staff before a crucial vote, a clear example of excluding relevant security officials from sensitive decisions.
With the lives of 116 hostages hanging in the balance, Netanyahu's decision-making process continues to reflect the chaotic and perilous patterns highlighted in the submarine affair. Nonetheless his commitment to these self-same policies seems ironclad, as he refuses to learn lessons from the past. Frightening indeed!
